Submarine life-saving appliance.



0? e. ULLIN. BUBHABINE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8,1914.

1,128,553. Patented Feb.- 16, 191:

man/(Er UNITED STA S PAQIENT OFFICE.

CARL G. ULLIN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

SUBMABINE LIFESAVING APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL G. ULLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Life- SavingAppliances, of which the following a specification. I

This invention relates to submarine vessels and more especially toapparatus whereby the crews thereof may escape in emergencies such asthe disability of a vessel.

T he object of the invention is the provision of .1 buoyant water-tightstructure into which the crew enter and upon its being released from asunken vessel will carry them in safety to the water surface.

The invention consists in the novel construction and adaptation ofdevices, as will be lu-reinai'ter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 u verl ical longitudinal sectionof a portion of a sulnnarine vessel with the present invention appliedthereto. Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections through 22 and 3-4, ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View taken through 4-l of Fig. 1 toillustrate the valve for controlling the admission of water to flood thecompartment contain ing the buoyant caisson. Fig. 5' is a per spectiveview of the upper end of the valve controller rod.

The reference numeral' designates the deg-k and 11 the bottom plating ofthe shell of a su unarine vessel. Provided within said vessel is awatertight compartment 12 which is desirablv of a ubstantially cylin-(lrirul form and extends from the bottom plating 11 to the deck 10. Theperipheral wall or bulkhead 13 which lIU'iOSQS said conipartment isprovided neardts upper end with a way 14 of sufiicient size for thepassage of people therethrough and is normally (-l d by a door 15. Steps16 may he pr dd d on the exterior of the wall 13 b low t.i-. doorway. Ahatchcover 17 is prrnided on the deck 1 for closing the opening at thetop of the compartment 12.

Said hatch-cover is hinged at one edge, as'

at 1 and adjacent its other edge the cover is provided with a dependingbolt 1.) which minates in a horizontal finger 20. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8, 1914 Serial No. 810,963.

water inlet valve 21 is provided to close an opening 22 provided in thebottom plating 11 and similarly a vent-valve 23 is provided for closingan opening 10 in the deck IO. These valves are advantageously of thetype known as swinging gate-valves and operate between seats 21 and 23for the respective valves. Said val es are rigidly connected or securedas by welding upon an upright rod 24, which is socketed atits .ends forrotary movements.

Coextensive with the valve is an arm Jdwhich serves as a latch memberwith re spect to the hatch-cover 17 by engaging the finger of theaforesaid bolt. Said valves and the arm 25 are arranged so that when therod 24 is suitably turned the valves will be closed while the cover islatched; and likewise when the rod is turned to open the valves thecover isunlatched. Inorder to make the compartment of small diameter, anoffset chamber 26 is provided for the valve rod and communicates at thetop and bottom with the compartment 12. Located within said compartmeiitis a tubular structure which. for convenience, will be hereinafterdesignated as the caisson. This cais son is formed with a peripheralwall 27, a bottom wall 23 and a partition 29 at a dis tance above thelatter. At the top, the caisson is provided with a lid 30 which isopenable upward about hinge 31. and is secured in closed position by afastening screw-bolt 32 and a winged nut The lid is formed with adome-like central portion to accommodate the head of a person whenlooking out of glazed sight apertures 34 provided in the dome. Near theupper end of the caisson and facing the wall-opening 149 of compartment12, is a way 35 for which is provided a door 35.

36 represent spaced shelves upon which people may stand or sit when thecaisson is employed.

3? is a valve for controlling an opening in the caisson wall andcommunicating with the water ballast chamber 39 which is affordedbetween the partition 29 and bottom wall 28. The valve 37 is operated bya screw stem 40 engaging in a fixed nut 41, so that when the stem isturned through the medium of a wheel 42. the valve is opened or closed.

43 represents a pump havin its suction pipe 44 extending into theballast chamber extends upwardly into the interior of the bifurcated arm52 (Fig. 3) provided on the rod 24. A crank handle is provided forturning shaft :30.

In operation, the crew of the vessel enter the caisson through thedoorways 14 and whereupon the respective doors 15 and 35 are closed andfastened. ()ne of the occupants then opens the valve 37 andalso turnsthe shaft 50 resulting in the swinging of the latclrlinger 49 from thereceiver. 48 and also of the turning of the rod 24 through theinstrumentality of the arms 51 and 527m the shaft and rod, respectively.\Vhen the rod is thus turned, the latchfinger 25 is withdrawn fromengagement with the bolt 19 thereby unfastening the cover 17. The rodfurthermore effects the opening of the valves 21 and 23 so that watercan enter the compartment 12; As the water ascends it will fiow intoballast chamber 39 and eventually fill the compartment about thecaisson. iVhen this occurs, the Water pressures acting from above andbelow upon the cover 17 will balance, but in consequence of the buoyancyof the caisson, the latter will cause the cover to rise. When the coveropens; the caisson will rise to the water surface. Should the caisson betoo heavily loaded to have the upper end of the caisson protrude thedesired height above the water surface; the pump 43 may be uti-1,12a,uas I lized to discharge water from chamber 39 subsequent to theclosing of valve 87.

The exterior surface of the caisson, at least at the top and includingthe lid 30, is covered with a substance such as a coat of mercury with alayer of varnish or an equivalcnt transparent material thereover. BySllr'll devices the caisson will be invisible to an observe:- inasmuchas he will see only the reflection of the surrounding Water surface.

The various doors and the caisson lid would, of course, he fitted tomake watertight joints with the body of the caisson, or be rendered soby the use of a suitable pack ing or gaskets.

The releasing means for the caisson, the lid thereof and the cover ofthe containing compartment 12, are all operated by the crank-handle :72which also opens the valves 21 and 23 which allow of the flooding ofsaid compartment. Under such conditions there would be no liability ofany mistake being made as would be the case with a number of separatecontrollers for the indi- 'vidual above-named elements What I claim asmy invention, is-

The combination wlth a submarine vessel provided with a compartmenttherein which is open at the top, a cover for the'compart- ,mentopening, fastening means for said December, 1913.

CARL G. ULLIN. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES,

E. PETERSON.

